Tinto Speciality isn’t just another café. It’s a small slice of the world tucked into Koszalin, built out of a passion for travel, coffee and, well, surprising yourself. Here’s how Marta, the owner, decided to drop everything and, instead of heading off to the Bieszczady mountains, a favourite escape in the far south-east of Poland, open the café of her dreams right here.
Tinto, the Koszalin café: how it all started
Marta laughs that she opened the café on 1 April “because I like playing April Fools’ jokes.” But behind the joke is a genuinely serious decision. After years of travelling the world, she still felt Koszalin was missing somewhere with real character, where the coffee has personality and the tea tastes like it would in the best cafés in Europe. Instead of waiting for someone else to do it, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
“Yolo, you live only once,” she repeats, half joking, half serious. That line sums up why, instead of heading to the Bieszczady, she made her dream happen right here in Koszalin. Tinto Speciality quickly became more than just a café. It turned into a meeting place, full of energy, travel-inspired ideas and a concept that keeps evolving along with its owner.
Local coffee at Tinto, Koszalin
The coffee at Tinto isn’t an afterthought. From the start, Marta wanted it to be high quality and local, so she chose beans roasted as close by as possible, at our Colbergcoffee roastery. The house blend is Good Morning: 80% arabica from Brazil and 20% robusta from India. The cup leans towards nutty, caramel and milk chocolate notes.
It’s a coffee that works well in any format, from espresso through cappuccino to flat white. Customers say it’s neither sour nor bitter, which makes it an easy, crowd-pleasing cup. “It should wake you up, not make you pull a face,” Marta jokes, adding that this profile fits the mood of Tinto perfectly.
Matcha in Koszalin: what’s on the drinks menu at Tinto
Tinto isn’t just about coffee. The menu features matcha in plenty of forms: classic, strawberry, with mango purée or made with coconut water. Autumn brings a pumpkin spice latte, Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk and a homemade spiced syrup. On top of that there’s a wide choice of teas from Japan and China, lemonades, freshly pressed juices and cocktails. Improvisation is Marta’s middle name, so if you’re after something unusual, there’s a good chance the barista at Tinto will make it specially for you.
A Koszalin café with its own baking: what Marta bakes at Tinto
You won’t find the same cakes in the display case all week. Marta bakes continuously, changing flavours with the season and with inspiration from her travels. There’s tiramisu from a recipe brought back from Italy, lemon tart from the US, matcha biscuits from Japan, and in autumn, pumpkin bakes with a touch of lavender take over. Everything is made from scratch and tested at home first, so only the recipes that work make it to customers.
The café with atmosphere in Koszalin? That’s Tinto
Although Tinto sits on one of Koszalin’s main streets, time slows down once you’re inside. Plenty of greenery, warm lighting, hand-painted stoneware from Bolesławiec, a Polish town famous for its pottery, and paintings by local artists give it the feel of a living room rather than a café in the town centre.
It’s also a place where things happen. There are themed events, from a “Back to Hogwarts” night with a Harry Potter-inspired menu, to weekly deals for students from the nearby technical university, to a book club that meets once a month. “I don’t know if anyone will show up, but I definitely will,” Marta smiles.
Craft, local roots and authenticity: Tinto is more than just a café
Every piece of the décor at Tinto has a story. The paintings on the walls can be bought, made by local artists from Koszalin and Ukraine. One regular customer brought in old plates from her cupboard at home, and they now decorate the café. Marta loves plants, so watering eighty pots is part of her daily routine.
Ceramics from a craftswoman near Koszalin will soon be on the shelves too: matcha bowls, coffee mugs and small vases. Everything will be available in the café, along with coffee vouchers that make a quick gift, especially handy on one of Poland’s trading-ban Sundays, when most shops are closed by law.
The best café in Koszalin? Come and see
If you’re after a café in Koszalin with soul, a genuine story and local character, Tinto is the place. It sits on one of the city’s main streets, close to the technical university, the sports and events arena and the aquapark. That means you’ll find students, families dropping in after the pool, and sports fans grabbing a quick espresso between halves.
Inside, the coffee tastes of nuts and chocolate, the matcha comes in dozens of forms, and the cakes never repeat. The interior changes with the seasons and with guests’ own ideas, so there’s always something new to find.
“No routine, no boredom. This is my little corner of the world in Koszalin,” says Marta. Drop by, try it, and see for yourself.
FAQ: Tinto Speciality in Koszalin
Where can you get good matcha in Koszalin?
At Tinto Speciality, matcha comes in plenty of forms: classic, made with coconut water, with mango purée, or in a seasonal pumpkin spice version.
Does Tinto Speciality in Koszalin have homemade cakes?
Yes, every cake is made in-house. There’s something new each week: tiramisu, matcha biscuits, lemon tart or pumpkin bakes.
What coffee does Tinto Speciality in Koszalin serve?
The core of the menu is the Good Morning 80/20 blend from a local roastery in Kołobrzeg. It has notes of caramel, nuts and milk chocolate, and works well both as espresso and in milk-based drinks.
Where in Koszalin can you get coffee from a local roastery?
At Tinto Speciality. We work with a roastery in Kołobrzeg, serving freshly roasted specialty coffee from the region.
What events does Tinto in Koszalin run?
We run a book club, student deals, and themed events, such as a Harry Potter week with drinks and desserts in a magical spirit.
